Air and erosion or corrosion eliminator device



AIR AND EROSION OR CORROSION ELIMINATOR DEVICE Filed March 22, 1950 INVENTORS WILLIHM MKENNEDY BENGT E. MEURK ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 23, 1952 AIR AND EROSION on CORROSION .ELIMINATOR DEVICE William M. Kennedy, Lyndhurst, and Bengt E. Meurk, Upper Montclair, J.

Application March 22, 1950, SerialNo. 151,172

2 Claims. (Cl. i832.5)

This invention relates-to devices for use in fluid I circulating lines for the purpose of'eliminating 1 air ,from the fluid circulated therethrough and thus to retard or checkfcrmation of erosion or corrosion throughout the lines and the various pipes, fittings, valves, pumps and condensers. More. particularly, the invention deals with a device of the character described employing a plurality of filter plates or screens to break-up the fluid flow or'create a turbulence to free the airfor discharge from the device and to accomplish-this result without retarding fiowof the circulated fluid. Still more particularly, 'the invention deals with the use of filter plates or screens composed of suchmaterials as will encourage the formation of corrosion and be anodic to the various pipes, fittings and the like of the structure.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodimBnts of the invention are disclosed and, in whichjthe separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side and sectional view of a device made according to our invention. H

Fig. 2 is a section substantially on the line 2-2 ofFig.1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of part of a modified form ofscreen which we employ; and v v Fig. 4 is a face view of another form of screen.

;While (our improved device isadaptedfor use inconjunction with circulation of fluids of any type or kind regardless of the location of the circulatingapparatus, our invention has adistinct use on-board ship, particularly in the circulation of sea water and, from this standpoint, it is desirable that at least one of these devices be employed closely adjacent the intake of the circulating system, so as to free the air from the sea water before the same has an opportunity to reach the remainder of the system or the various devices or apparatus through which the water is circulated. It will be understood, however, that two or more of these devices can be employed along the circulating line, soas to render the system substantially fool-proof from the standpoint of dispensing with all air in the line.

In illustrating one adaptation of our invention, we have shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, a cross-section through an eliminator which comprises a substantially T-shaped tubular body It), having a flanged intake end I l and a flanged discharge end l2, the body I having an upwardly extending central tubular portion [3 which is substantially, square in cross-sectional form, as will appear from a consideration of Fig. 2 of the drawing. The tubular portion [3 terminates at its upper end in an outwardly extending coupling flange l4 facilitating attachment of a domed portion or cap l5, also flanged, as seen at l6. Be-

tween the flanges I4 and I6 is disposed aperforated plate or screen 11, the parts being held together by a plurality of bolts l8.

Opposed side walls [9 of the body I3 and that portion of the walls extending into the cross-head portion of the device, in other words, the portions have spaced vertical grooves 2|. The grooves 2| are adapted to receive bailie screens or filter plates 22 having suitable. apertures or openings 23 therein. 'The grooves 21 open outwardly through the upper flanged end 14 of the tubular portion l3 so that, in detaching the dome or cap IS, the plates 22 can be, removed from timeto time for cleaning and other purposes. With this thought in mind, it will be noted that the air vent pipe,. 24 which is coupled with the upper central portionofthe dome or cap [5 has, at-a predetermined position, above the body (0, a coupling 25 which'will facilitate removal of the dome or cap, I5 without disturbing the body It or the upper, portion 24' of the vent pipe. yThe upper discharge end of the vent pipe has a downwardly bent fitting 26 for the discharge of air.

It will be understood that the discharge 26 is disposed in widely spaced relationship to the body I0, particularlyin uses on-board ship. p

In Fig. 3 of the drawing, we have shown at 21 a modified form of screen plate which is corrugated, as seen at 28, these corrugations being disposed between boundary edge portions of the screen and it is preferred that the aperturesor openings 29 be, arranged at the high-points of the corrugations. The purpose of this construction is to further facilitate the freeing of the air to allow the same to pass upwardly through the tubular portion l3, the screen I! or the apertures l7 therein and, thus, into the dome or cap l5 and out through the vent.

In Fig. 4 of the drawing, we have shown at 29 another form of screen in the-form of a stamped sheet, providing a staggered arrangement of diamond-shaped openings 30 therein.

It will be understood that, by extending the tubular portion I3 a material degree above the flanged intake and discharge ends H and I2, a relatively large circulating chamber is provided which is materially greater than the bore of the circulating passage through the device such, for example, as the bore 1 I', so that the various baffie screen plates employed will not retard the flow of fluid through the system. In other words, the area of the openings in the baffie screen plates will be greater than the area of the bore II. In addition to breaking-up the fluid to free the air for discharge through the vent, the baflles will also prevent circulation of any large foreign matter through the system and erosion which takes place will take place upon the baflle screen plates and, as pointed out above, these can be cleaned from time to time or replaced by new plates without materially holding-up the system.

The last plate or screen, namely the Plate or screen 22' of a series is preferably made heavier to form a support or backing to check passage of broken-down portions or sections of other plates or screens through the system. This breakdown would occur in the event that the device had not been checked for a long period of time. It is recommended, however, that periodic checkings be made for replacement or removal of the plates.

It will also be understood that thevent pipes 24 can be used as a discharge or bleeder pipe for discharge of a small quantity of the aerated water or, in other words, to encourage such discharge to avoid checkin escape of air; In some installations of the device, the same will be disposed below the waterline of the ship and, thus, a water level will be maintained in the pile 24, but the discharge will be carried to a point above the water line. v

It will be apparent that, by utilizing filter or screen plates of ferrous metals or metals in the anodic group, erosion or corrosion has a concentrated effect upon these plates, thus minimizing or eliminating the possible formation throughout the various pipes, fittings and the like of the structure. By positioning several of the devices in question throughout a system, a substantially positive control can be provided which will result in long life use of the various pipes, fittings and the like of a system and the only loss eifected is the loss in replacement of the filter plates or screens having the corrosion concentrated thereon. In other words, where the structure includes pipes, fittings and the like which are composed of brass or copper, by utilizing screen plates composed of iron, these plates would constitute the weak members and be more readily attacked by the free oxygen in the water.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An air and erosion eliminator device for circulating systems through which aerated water is circulated, said device comprising a T-shaped tubular body having opposed flanged inlet and outlet ends, an intermediate portion including an upwardly extending air outlet portion substantially rectangular in cross-sectional form, the intermediate portion forming a straight line communication between said inlet and outlet ends, a domed cap for said air outlet portion, a horizontal screen arranged and secured between the cap and air outlet portion, a plurality of screens arranged vertically in said device and extending into said air outlet portion and abutting said horizontal screen, said screens forming baflles for liberating air intermediate the intake and discharge ends of the device for discharge into said outlet portion, a vent pipe coupled with and communicating with said domed cap, and the screens of said device comprising perforated iron plates having anodic characteristics encouraging formation of corrosion thereon.

2. An air and erosion eliminator device for circulating systems through which aerated water is circulated, said device comprising a T-shaped tubular body having opposed flanged inlet and outlet ends, an intermediate portion including an upwardly extendingair outlet portion substantially rectangular in cross-sectional form, the intermediate portion forming a straight line communication between said inlet and outlet ends, a domed cap forsaid air outlet portion, a horizontal screen arranged and secured between the cap and air outlet portion, a plurality of screens arranged vertically in said device and extending into said air outlet portion and abutting said horizontal screen, said screens forming baflles for liberatin air intermediatethe intake and discharge ends of the device for discharge into said outlet portion, a vent pipe coupled with and communicating with said domed cap, the screens of said device comprising perforated iron plates having anodic characteristics encouraging formation of corrosion thereon, and the plate at the outlet end of the device being thicker than the other plates. 7

WILLIAM M. KENNEDY. BENGT E. MEURK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this, patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 447,327 Hussey et a1. Mar. 3, 1891 764,922 Davis July 12,1904

1,119,980 Mulligan Dec. 8, 1914 1,177,288 Teller Mar. 28, 1916 1,359,547 Thomas Nov. 23, 1920 1,684,834 Larsen Sept. 18, 1928 1,752,260 Calder et al Mar. 25, 1930 1,889,325 Whaley Nov. 29, 1932 2,368,443 Biery Jan. 30, 1945 

